My Nemesis and My Wife - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: “Caught in Bed.”

Throwing flirtatious glances at the blind.

“All departments in position,” Yu Jintang said into the walkie-talkie. “Are the two teachers ready?”

Qin Lan glanced at Feng Manhong and took a deep breath: “I’m ready.”

Feng Manhong also nodded.

Yu Jintang smiled, starting the first shoot with full confidence.

After Empress Wu Zhao ascended the throne, she trusted Shangguan Wan’er more and more, ordering her to handle the memorials from all departments and participate in government decisions. Shangguan Wan’er effectively became the Empress’s secretary, and her power grew daily. This expanding power also nourished Shangguan Wan’er’s ambition, and many hidden thoughts began to flourish. Previously, Yu Jintang mostly handled this emotion through eye-acting, but here, it was an all-out explosion.

During Wu Zhao’s reign, she had many historically famous male consorts, such as Xue Huaiyi and the Zhang brothers. Occasionally, Shangguan Wan’er would stumble upon them. Every time she met the Empress flirting with her male favorites, she would lower her head in time, but her gaze remained obscure and unreadable.

Qin Lan acted all morning, successfully completing the preceding shots. She rested for a while at noon and continued filming in the afternoon.

Once the mood was sufficiently built, the two “teachers” climbed onto the Dragon Bed.

This scene depicted the moment Shangguan Wan’er stumbled upon Wu Zhao bestowing her favors upon the Zhang brothers. Shangguan Wan’er thought she was certainly a dead woman and lay prostrate on the ground, trembling incessantly.

Qin Lan was now fully concentrated. When she entered her work state, she could achieve total focus, and even Feng Manhong became just another person. Her breathing was hurried, her voice trembling as she cried out in fear: “Your Majesty.”

Wu Zhao sat on the Dragon Bed, her robes half-open, yet her majesty was not diminished in the slightest: “Shangguan, lift your head.”

Shangguan Wan’er slowly raised her head, her eyelashes trembling. She didn’t dare look at her, for fear of defying the Empress.

“You do not dare look at Us?” Wu Zhao smiled. “Did you not see everything just now?”

“This servant deserves death!” Shangguan Wan’er kowtowed fiercely, blood covering the red plum blossom ornament on her forehead.

“Deserves death? Shangguan, what crime have you committed?” the Empress laughed, the lines at the corners of her eyes crinkling slightly, her charm undiminished.

“This servant… this servant accidentally offended the Heavenly Majesty…” Beads of sweat covered Qin Lan’s forehead, and her whole body began to shake. Feng Manhong truly lived up to her reputation as a veteran actor; Qin Lan felt that in the next moment, she really would be dragged out and executed by a single word from the Emperor.

Feng Manhong sat on the Dragon Bed and burst into laughter, her voice filling the curtains. Qin Lan got goosebumps and wouldn’t stop shivering on the ground.

“Heavenly Majesty? The Son of Heaven is also a human,” Feng Manhong said meaningfully. “Come closer.”

Qin Lan crawled forward on her knees, stopping before the steps.

Feng Manhong, wearing her nightgown, stood up and walked closer and closer.

Qin Lan’s face turned bright red, and even breathing seemed to become difficult as she desperately fluttered her eyelashes.

“Look up,” Feng Manhong said.

“This servant… this servant does not dare…” Qin Lan said in a trembling voice, trying her best to avoid her gaze.

Wu Zhao reached out, pinched her chin, pulled out a silk handkerchief to wipe away the blood, and studied that beautiful face.

Qin Lan slammed her eyes shut. At this moment, Shangguan Wan’er was terrified to the extreme; as long as she could save her life, she would be willing to gouge out her own eyes.

But Wu Zhao commanded: “Open your eyes. We shall not sentence you.”

After a moment, Qin Lan tremblingly opened her eyes, her narrow eyes filled with tears.

“Do you know how to attend the bed?” Wu Zhao asked with a smile, truly showing no trace of anger.

Shangguan Wan’er’s whole body shuddered, and an incredible light lit up in her eyes. Fear slowly dissipated, replaced by a strange kind of shock and ecstasy. Qin Lan’s chest twitched, simulating an extreme sense of impact.

“This servant… knows,” she answered in a trembling voice.

Wu Zhao said nothing.

Shangguan Wan’er closed her eyes, and two lines of tears finally fell. She crawled up the steps on her knees, still looking up at Wu Zhao, looking at the Empress she worshipped, respected, and secretly loved.

Red curtains rolled and swirled; candlelight flickered. Wu Zhao held Shangguan Wan’er, letting out unabashed moans.

Shangguan Wan’er managed to lift her head, her face as red as dripping blood. The red plum on her forehead was traced by the Empress’s fingertips, looking vividly seductive.

Feng Manhong suddenly threw her head back, her gasps unending.

Qin Lan shuddered uncontrollably, muttered “forgive me” twice in her heart, and dutifully kissed the Empress’s knee. She lifted her head; next, the curtains would fall, and the camera would naturally pull away. She just had to hold Feng Manhong and roll a couple of times in the messy bed.

The curtains trembled and indeed fell. Qin Lan’s heart relaxed, and she began to create the sensation of surging waves.

After an unknown amount of time, she heard Yu Jintang shout “Cut.” Qin Lan breathed a long sigh of relief and planned to sit up, but because she had been too invested in the acting, the two of them were actually tangled inside.

Yu Jintang stared at the screen for a moment before confirming: “Perfect. A few of you, go and let the two teachers out.”

Staff members crowded over, busily peeling away the messy curtains and letting her out. Qin Lan climbed up with a beaming face and said to the staff who rescued her: “Thank you…”

The staff member, Jiang Yan, held a piece of the red curtain in her hand, staring at her expressionlessly.

Her gaze swept over Qin Lan’s disheveled shoulders and thighs.

Qin Lan froze on the spot, her heart beating weirdly and wildly.

It feels like being caught in an affair…

Feng Manhong also sat up beside her and smiled first: “Xiao Jiang? I heard you had a schedule today. Finished?”

Jiang Yan, usually gentle and polite, didn’t speak for a full ten seconds. The way she looked at Qin Lan was so calm it was hair-raising. Qin Lan shivered, her sweat turning cold. The staff were still busy; only Xiao Qing and Feng Manhong’s assistant stood to the side helplessly holding fans and water bottles.

“Yes,” Jiang Yan finally answered, her gaze moving down to Feng Manhong.

Qin Lan’s heart thumped, realizing her leg seemed to still be resting on Feng Manhong’s thigh…

She quickly turned her head to look; fortunately, Feng Manhong was still fairly decent. Yu Jintang, considering the Empress’s dignity and the later censorship, had filmed the scene very hazily.

But the shoulders and arms were indeed exposed, and there were her lip prints on them.

“Just got back. I came to the set to take a look and didn’t expect to see the two teachers trapped. I was afraid you’d be smothered, so I came to help.”

As she spoke, she finally let go of the thin gauze she had been clutching for a long time, raising a polite, exquisite smile: “The two teachers have worked hard.”

Qin Lan involuntarily watched her back as she left: “Xiao Qing.”

“Sister Qin, Sister Qin, do you want water or the fan?” Xiao Qing scurried over, beaming like a flower, clearly having many thoughts to share.

“Help me up,” Qin Lan said expressionlessly.

“Huh?” Xiao Qing froze for a second and quickly checked her: “Sister Qin, are you hurt?”

Qin Lan was a powerful person appearance, family background, inner strength, and even her combat stats were maxed out. Although she had bodyguards, those guards had basically been eating for free for seven or eight years. She also never got sick; her health was so good it made Xiao Qing feel like a failure. Rich people weren’t just rich and pretty; even their bodies were this good. Aside from being blunt and having a bit of a temper, God hadn’t closed any windows for her.

“When I tell you to help, just help. So many words,” Qin Lan glared at her, but the lethality was much lower than usual. Her mind was full of Jiang Yan’s gaze just now. Jiang Yan must have rushed back from a brand event again; there were several small clips pinned to her clothes. Unless she truly ran out of time, this “fake” person would rather sacrifice time for drinking, eating, or using the bathroom just to tidy herself up perfectly to create a “peacock-opening-its-feathers” entrance effect.

Who knows why she rushed over twice in a row.

Feng Manhong had already stood up and reached out to give her a hand. Qin Lan subconsciously wanted to dodge but held back: “Thank you, Teacher Feng.”

“It’s nothing,” Feng Manhong smiled thoughtfully, then turned to follow her assistant down to rest.

Qin Lan had no more scenes next, so she went listlessly to remove her makeup. Xiao Qing found it strange and couldn’t help saying: “Sister Qin, didn’t you just film a scene with Best Actress Feng? Aren’t you happy?”

Could Sister Qin have seen Feng Manhong up close and disliked that she’s older?

Her thoughts ran wild, and she didn’t hear what Qin Lan said. Qin Lan, annoyed, flicked her forehead and scolded: “Can you put some proper business in that head of yours for once!”

Xiao Qing froze and quickly said: “Sorry Sister Qin, I was wrong. Go ahead, I’m listening.”

“I said, go get my phone,” Qin Lan repeated crossly.

Xiao Qing hurriedly brought her phone over. Qin Lan couldn’t look while removing her makeup, so she gripped it in her hand for a while. Finally, she couldn’t resist clicking into WeChat and aimlessly browsing the crew’s work group.

Jiang Yan’s last post was from the day before yesterday, when Yu Jintang asked if everyone had arrived at the hotel.

She didn’t have Jiang Yan’s contact info, and she didn’t know what to say anyway.

“Why are you thinking about this?” She suddenly snapped to her senses and tossed the phone away huffily: “What does it have to do with me?”

She opened a game and started a match.

The marksman and jungler locked in first, taking Galo and Kaizer. Qin Lan stared at her phone for a moment and chose Yao to lock in. She could actually play any role, but the afternoon scene was too physically taxing, so she wanted to relax.

Mid-lane followed by locking in Daji. The last person hesitated for a while and chose Mozi.

Kaizer: Why two supports? Daji was a bit unhappy: We don’t have a solo laner (clash lane). Qin Lan lazily pressed the voice input: I chose first.

Mozi didn’t speak and locked in.

Qin Lan was a bit annoyed. Just as she was about to change her loadout, she saw Mozi change Flicker to Execute.

Qin Lan narrowed her eyes, starting to suspect this was Yu Jintang’s smurf account.

Among her friends, the “Thermos Comrade” Yun Chui didn’t play any games. Song Man was a dance maniac and rarely had time. Yu Jintang was actually a decent player, but unfortunately, she liked to use Guan Yu to push away her own team’s blue buff, use Zhong Kui to hook away the red buff, use a teleport to announce their location to the world when teammates were doing the Dragon, and suddenly jump off a teammate’s head during a critical team fight to turn into a deer and watch the teammate get beaten to death.

She especially loved playing heroes like Ma Chao and Shouyue who could annoy teammates to death and make opponents die laughing. She also frequently urged Qin Lan to play Da Qiao to cooperate with her “Cockscomb” Marco Polo to steal everyone else’s farm. In one sentence: she’d carry the kills but wouldn’t guarantee the win.

An exasperated Qin Lan had once questioned if she actually wanted to push towers. Yu Jintang asked her in surprise what was the fun in pushing towers? Finding amusement was the way.

Qin Lan suppressed her fire: “Then go torture the opponents! Don’t cause trouble for us, okay!”

Yu Jintang: “If I torture the opponents, they’ll think it’s only natural. Only by torturing teammates can I deeply feel the ‘powerless rage’ of humanity.”

Qin Lan was so angry she deleted her from her friend list on the spot.

Playing games with someone who spent all their mind on how to mess with teammates required constant vigilance against betrayal; she’d rather choose to play a match with the 0-29 mid-laner Yang Xingji.

Soon the last person finished loading, and the passionate game prompt appeared. “Execute Mozi” followed Daji and left. Qin Lan was originally following Galo, but seeing no one in the solo lane and having a strong competitive drive, she reluctantly turned around and went to the solo lane.

Qin Lan pressed the voice input: Mozi, come help.

Mozi didn’t budge, staying in mid-lane to bully the weak.

Qin Lan controlled Yao and arrived at the lane. The enemy Mulan was hitting the jungle creep.

Qin Lan cleared the wave according to the book. At this moment, the marksman spoke: The other person chose first. Mozi, go help in the solo lane.

Mozi finally came, and brought the mid-laner with him. Qin Lan, who was about to be bullied to death by Mulan, managed to land a skill in the chaos and actually took First Blood.

Qin Lan was delighted and decided to stay in the solo lane. Mozi also stayed. Once they both reached level 4, Qin Lan hopped onto Mozi’s head, and they sent the newly respawned Mulan back again.

Qin Lan glanced at the mini-map and was shocked: “How did the enemy Luban get into my jungle?”

The Luban she mentioned was happily da-da-da-ing at the red buff.

Jiang Yan gave a soft hiss, wanting to retreat.

“Sure enough, I shouldn’t just practice jungling. Now I want to go in as soon as I see a jungle…” Jiang Yan unskillfully tossed out a skill trying to steal the red. Kaizer was busy hacking at the red buff and didn’t have time to deal with her for the moment.

Jiang Yan already felt something was wrong and started preparing to run. But she was still a bit unwilling to leave that red buff. She fired her second skill, and instantly a ring of red light appeared under her feet. Just as she turned to run, a pink heart floated out of the brush and fixed her in place. Kaizer rushed over aggressively and took her out. Jiang Yan was sent back to the fountain.

Jiang Yan held her forehead.

Qin Lan felt physically and mentally refreshed. She reached out to wipe the dust off the screen and accidentally clicked “Low Health/Status.”

Kaizer typed in “All”: Yao, come take the blue.

Qin Lan moved onto Kaizer’s head and conveniently praised him: So powerful, so great!

Jiang Yan’s eyes narrowed, staring at the enemy Yao’s ID: “I Am Qin Lan?”

No one would take such a name as the celebrity herself, except for Jiang Yan. Qin Lan was exactly the kind of person who would choose such a name. And her WeChat name was also this. The probability was extremely high.

Her mood improved a lot instantly. She even thought this person suspected to be Qin Lan was praising her for successfully stealing the red. She also opened “All” and replied: Thanks for the praise.

Qin Lan looked at it confusedly. After thinking for a while, she remembered that Luban seemed to have stolen her team’s red before dying. But it died right after, and the red went back to Kaizer anyway.

I Am Qin Lan (Yao): Who was talking to you? I Am Qin Lan (Yao): I was talking to our handsome jungler.

Jiang Yan was so angry she typed two words, which were censored.

She went to support mid-lane and took out the enemy Daji. Perhaps out of gratitude, Angela followed her. Jiang Yan couldn’t swallow the earlier insult and went to the enemy’s blue buff area again.

Then she was taken out by Kaizer for a Double Kill.

Jiang Yan threw her phone down.

The “rebirthed” Jiang Yan reflected on her pain and decided never to enter the enemy jungle again. So she went into her own jungle. But this time… she didn’t provoke the enemy jungler, yet the enemy jungler came on his own, still carrying the “shining with holy light” Yao.

Jiang Yan ran for her life, starting to question why her brain had short-circuited to pick a squishy marksman for jungling.

Kaizer threw out a slow, but only followed behind Luban, chasing the half-dead Luban. Qin Lan waited a bit and understood; she released a skill and took Luban out.

Qin Lan felt even better: So easy!

The rebirthed Jiang Yan reflected deeply and stopped going into the jungle much at all. she went to help Mulan kill Mozi, who was still sitting in the solo lane.

Kaizer hit the red buff for a long time. When it was down to a sliver of health, he stood still. Qin Lan waited two seconds and skeptically took the red.

In a good mood, Qin Lan started praising people.

I Am Qin Lan (Yao): Kaizer is so gentle. Don’t Eat Cilantro (Galo): Only praising him?

Qin Lan checked her stats; she hadn’t died much and her gold was in second place. Galo is a late-game hero; she needs farm and a good mindset. So Qin Lan didn’t stint on the praise: You’re handsome too.

Galo went silent.

Galo killed Luban No. 7. Galo killed Mulan. Galo killed Angela.

Jiang Yan stared at the small, splayed corpse on the ground, her heart dead: Why did the enemy Galo suddenly go crazy?

Galo said proudly: Our support praised me, and praised the jungler too.

Jiang Yan fired off a final ray of hope: What about me?

At the same time, she checked her stats. 2—6—2.

I Am Qin Lan (Yao): You’re just a ‘Little Egg’ (Luban/Noob). Lan (Luban No. 7): I Censored!!

As they reached the mid-to-late game, team fights began. Kaizer led the group to invade the enemy blue area. Jiang Yan, who was used to dashing in for harvests, died once more.

After respawning, she gave up the jungle and started clearing waves with teammates, only to be forced back under the tower by the enemy Galo.

Jiang Yan dragged her field of view and sensed something was happening at the Dragon Pit. She held her second skill to pre-aim at the Dragon Pit.

Galo killed Mulan, took a Double Kill on Angela, and was about to get a Triple Kill when Jiang Yan escaped with Flicker. Her second skill fired, and the words “Critical Steal” popped up on the screen.

Jiang Yan was really not used to a “standing” hero like Luban, but she thought her limit-break escape plus the critical Dragon steal was very cool. She typed in the public chat: Luban isn’t smooth for me. I’ll carry you next game, let you see my true strength.

Don’t Eat Cilantro (Galo): Carry who? Lan (Luban): Carry ‘I Am Qin Lan’. Don’t Eat Cilantro (Galo): Tsk. Don’t Eat Cilantro (Galo): How much ‘carrying’ can you do? Even our Yao-mei could solo you.

After saying that, Galo soloed the enemy hero. Galo took a Double Kill on Luban No. 7. Galo took a Triple Kill on Angela.

Jiang Yan’s face was completely dark.

The crystal shattered, and the big word “DEFEAT” popped up.

Jiang Yan clicked it off expressionlessly and checked everyone’s stats.

Don’t Eat Cilantro (Galo): 18—1—6 The Third Cloud (Kaizer): 5—0—5 (Kaizer’s gold was last; he hadn’t properly taken any buffs, giving them all to Qin Lan.) I Am Qin Lan (Yao): 2-1-17 Lan (Luban No. 7): 2-10-2

Jiang Yan slammed the phone down and laughed out of anger. Half a minute later, when she picked up the phone again, she found Yao’s avatar was actually still lit.

Qin Lan took a sip of water. Just as she was about to start another match, a friend request appeared on the screen. She accidentally hit “Accept,” froze for a second, and planned to exit to delete it. However, another request popped up on the interface. Her finger slipped and she accidentally clicked in; the team room interface appeared.

Qin Lan wasn’t sure who the person was for a moment; she never looked at other people’s IDs when playing. After thinking for two seconds, she asked: The Kaizer from the last game?

Lan: Guess again.

Qin Lan pondered: Galo?

Lan: Guess again.

I Am Qin Lan: Mozi.

Jiang Yan bit her teeth: Guess again!

I Am Qin Lan: The enemy Angela?

Jiang Yan typed with a cold face: I was Luban.

Qin Lan was shocked: You’re that ‘Egg’?

Lan: Yes. Lan: I told you I’d come out and carry you.

She was still typing, but I Am Qin Lan exited the room.

What a joke. Playing a ranked match with a “2-10 jungle-style Luban” what was the difference between that and matching with Yu Jintang and Yang Xingji as teammates at the same time in the Peak Tournament?

Well, there was a difference; at least those two wouldn’t boast about carrying.

Jiang Yan stared at the screen, silent. Powerless.

She had done everything to open her feathers like a peacock, but she had only thrown flirtatious glances at the blind.

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